It’s championship game day for the Valley

Mooney goes for its seventh title in history, and Ursuline tries for its second straight

Vindicator staff report

Fifteen weeks of blood, sweat and sacrifice will pay off today for the football teams of Cardinal Mooney and Ursuline, when they play for state championships.

The Cardinals (14-0), ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press and considered one of the state’s top teams, regardless of division, will go for the seventh state championship in school history against Columbus DeSales (11-3) in the Division III title game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon.

Ursuline (10-3), the defending state champion in Div. V, has won nine of its last 10 games. The Fighting Irish will play Coldwater (13-1) in the title game at 3 p.m. at Fawcett Stadium in Canton.

This is Mooney’s fifth state championship game appearance in six years. The Cardinals are led by district offensive player of the year Braylon Heard, who has rushed for nearly 1,800 yards. The West Virginia recruit rushed for more than 300 yards in last week’s rout of Steubenville. First team All-Ohio guard Zach Larson and Division I tackle prospect Eric Franklin anchor a typically strong offensive line. Defensively, Mark Pelini leads a talented defensive line, while first team All-Ohioan Mark Brandenstein anchors the linebackers and Heard and Vinopal lead the secondary.

The game is a rematch from Sept. 4, when Mooney defeated DeSales 21-14.

When asked if seeing a team twice is good or bad, Cardinals coach P.J. Fecko voted for neither.

“You could probably argue that situation either way,” he said. “With it being Week 15 and us playing in Week 2, it almost feels like it was last season. I don’t know that it makes it any easier. I don’t see any advantage or disadvantage.”

DeSales coach Ryan Wiggins felt it made things a little easier from a preparation standpoint. “You’re not starting from scratch,” he said.

The Ursuline-Coldwater game is also a rematch, although with a lot longer period between games. The Fighting Irish beat the Cavaliers 49-37 in the Div. IV state championship game in 2000.

This year’s Ursuline offense starts with senior RB Allen Jones, who has rushed for 2,224 yards.

“The thing about Allen is, he’s just been a very, very steady football player since his sophomore year,” said Ursuline coach Dan Reardon.

Akise Teague is the team’s most explosive player and could make an impact on kickoff and punt returns. Teague and Chris Collins are the main receiving threats for quarterback Paul Kempe.

This mark’s Ursuline third straight title game appearance and a chance for the Irish to become the first team to win two straight championships.

“This year, we want our legacy to be our own. We feed off that [2008] victory because last year, we were part of the state championship, but that was the 2008 seniors’ legacy,” said Ursuline’s senior defensive back, DeAndre Harris.